Happy Father's Day!

Hope that all you fathers out there have had a spectacular day. As you can tell from the photo above, the weather on Long Island was perfect. While New York City's temperature was to be 92 degrees, with the Atlantic breezes, it was only about 82 delightful degrees.

We started out with lunch on the Long Island Sound-side of Long Island on the North Fork. We had lunch at the Soundview Cafe, not far out of Greenport. We had a waterside view that was so lovely we would have been content to stay there for the day.

Since it was Father's Day, Mel took the lead for where we would go. I wasn't doing the driving so I felt he should decide where and how far we would go. While we had lunch, Mel decided that because this is our last day on Long Island, we would take a long drive through the Hamptons on the South Fork. We drove through Southampton, where there was one mansion after another but all surrounded by ten foot tall box hedges. Guess they didn't want us peons riding through there neighborhoods. Lovely, nonetheless.

Then, there was Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Amagansett and finally, ending in Montauk, at the very tip of Long Island. We were surprised at the topography of the area. The towns along the Atlantic Coast were typical flatland beaches buffered by huge dunes to protect the flatlands, but as we approached Montauk, the land turned into hills with beautiful views of the Atlantic and Block Island Sound. The photo above is the Montauk Point Lighthouse and since it is on the highest point of Montauk probably could be seen for miles and miles.

At the Montauk Point refreshment stand, these shark teeth were hung over the doorway. These jaws were from the largest fish ever caught on a rod and reel, landed in Montauk on August 6, 1986. The shark was 17 1/2 feet long and weighed 3,427 pounds. I guess it was a Great White Shark, but what do I know.

Returning from Montauk, we decided to tour through Sag Harbor, from where we could take a ferry to Shelter Island and from Shelter Island to Greenport. We like these ferry shortcuts. The whole time that we have been here, I have wanted to visit Shelter Island, but the locals were not too enthusiastic, so Mel refused to take the ferry there. Since it was our last hours on Long Island, he relented. You would know that we saved the best for last. Sag Harbor was lovely, but we fell in love with Shelter Island-pretty drives, homes and boats and darling restaurants. Shoot! Above, is a photo of our favorite Shelter Island house and boat, all caught while we were on the ferry. We'd be happy with either or both.

Finally, we made it back to our home base. Above is a photo of Greenport Harbor from the water with its' proud metal eagle guarding the harbor. We felt that of all the towns in North Fork of Long Island that we liked Greenport the best. It was a lovely town with great people

As I wrote this, Mel has been torturing me with NHRA drag racing, followed by the Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs. I am thoroughly nauseated at this point so I will end writing for today. I sure hope Mel enjoyed being in charge for Father's Day because tomorrow, we are going back to normal-shared decision making. Ha! Ha!